I was a typical teenager, my life revolved around friends and late night trips to Walmart, however things would soon change. When you are eighteen you would never dream that at such a young age our life would go from sleepless nights with friends to Wales to attract the attention of a small child. My way of mothering came to me from three events that will forever define me as who I am. Waiting for those two little pink lines was like waiting for honey to be poured on a cold January morning. I received a message that changed my life forever; my best friend since middle school just told me she might be pregnant! My first thought was how could she be so stupid, then panic set in as to what the hell she would do, however the main thought was that she wasn't the type of mother. My friend was like a tombstone, she could be cold, rough and stubborn. She never took the best care of herself and if that required physical, mental and emotional work, then it wasn't for her. The weeks seemed to blur together as I waited for the doctor's appointment to confirm my worst fear. The doctor walked in with a big smile on his face and said "congratulations, you're going to be a mom." My friend's face fell and we walked out of the doctor's office in a daze; I had to be the one to ask the difficult question: What the hell are you going to do? My friend stared at me and gave the answer I least expected: “I will have this baby despite all the odds. The night after the doctor's appointment she called me to tell me that she and her boyfriend had broken up and that she would need me now more than ever. I ask why they break up. She told me that he told her that he wasn't ready to give up his life for a small child who would demand to be put first, and that he wasn't about to give up time...half of paper... he is my son. When you have a child, everything in your life seems more meaningful, the things of little importance before are now the things that make your day. The air was warm, the sound of laughter and chatter filled the room as friends and family gathered to celebrate Terry's first birthday; The cake flies into the air as Terry smashes his cake. My son turns to look at me with a big smile and as I look into those big blue eyes, I know I made the right choice. Life-changing events happen in all sorts of ways, but parenting is so profound; that will change your view of the world forever. Becoming a mother at a young age was not the life I would have chosen, but looking back, I would never have changed the choice I made to adopt my son. Giving up your life for your children is one thing. You could give up your life for a child who doesn't even share your DNA??